Friday, October 22, 2010

Exploding Pumpkins And An Armored Car Heist

Plus, I saw a show on the Science Channel about how they're made. And they're made not to be vulnerable to heists. But still, we've seen enough shows where the impossible is possible.

Way back when, they didn't have any security at all, except what the driver and attendant could provide. I have a Superman DVD, one of the older serials, where there's troubles with armored car heists around Metropolis. And it's quite a puzzler. But it turns out it's an inside job, and the cars are being driven into the back of a truck.

It doesn't seem like that could happen today. Because of satellite technology, computer tracking, automated locks, doors that can only be opened by remote control, and, of course, police now know about the old back of the truck trick. The two bit thugs in Metropolis had to go back to other crime. It looks like there's no safer job now than armored car driver.

I still can't help but think the driver and attendants are on the lookout for suspicious activity. I was at the grocery store yesterday, sitting in the parking lot, when an armored car pulled up next to the building. There were all these people walking right next to it, and on all the sides of it on their way back to their cars, or going into the store. A nursing home bus pulled up and pulled in front of the armored car. I thought for sure any one of these folks might be killed.

After a while, with the attendant inside the store, the driver, maybe as some kind of security protocol, drove the truck around the parking lot, then returned to the same place to park. Naturally, I pulled the newspaper up in front of my face, then ripped a hole to look through till he was past. I saw a guy hobble in front of the armored car and pictured him being immediately machine-gunned down, because it very easily could've been a ruse.

I kept wondering what was taking the attendant so long inside the store. Maybe even now he was being tied up in the backroom and a lookalike was putting on his clothes. Or, and this really could happen, maybe he was a thief, went into the store, got the money from the bank, and disappeared out the back door.

I started wondering, how would a SWAT team take this vehicle? Like if they really planned it out. They could be on top of the store, then immediately descend on the the car when the attendant opened the door. There was a whole display of pumpkins next to the truck, maybe 200. They could have them rigged to blow up right when the guy opened the door and rush the car in the ensuing mayhem.

There was enough possibilities not all that far-fetched that could've happened that I decided I'd better get out of there. So I left, interestingly enough without seeing the attendant leave the store. He was in there forever. It seems like they'd want a quicker exchange. Especially with so many pumpkins.